In this handout photo released by the U.S. Army on Tuesday, May 15, 2007, Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of... (Associated Press)

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Top military officials are quietly setting their post-pullout strategy, reports Thomas Ricks in today's Post, and they're readying to keep in place a long-term, mid-size force. The new plan requires upwards of 40,000 American troops to stay in the country, with half dedicated to security, a quarter to training, and another quarter to logistics, in addition to a small special ops counterterrorism force.

The 40K plan is intended to play to a wide audience: from the government, which still seeks protection from foreign invasion, to Shiite radicals like Moqtada al-Sadr, who feel threatened by the continued Sunni insurgency. That reflects the wiser, more tempered military that’s offering up the strategy, say many officials. “There's a greater appreciation for complexity," says one Baghdad-based officer.